Brian Manzella
Administrator
Another teacher, on another site, was taking about some of his philosophy. It got me thinking. He said:
"No 'quick fix.' No 'band-aids.' Just The Golfing Machine as written by Homer Kelley and taught by a competent Instructor in adherence to its Principles. Most important, a Student-Teacher relationship...Established in advance...Grounded in reality...With a mutual commitment to long-term progress."
I like it, it sounds really good. A perfect situation.
So, I decided to interview myself, for the sake of those who want to know what I think about these very good concepts and goals.
Brian, do you believe in "quick-fixes" & "band-aids"?
Good question. I'll answer one at a time.
Band-aids. To me, a guy comes to see you with a slice. You strengthen the HECK out of his grip. BAND-AID. A lady comes to you hitting it fat or topping it. You move her head way forward and move the ball way back. BAND-AID. A guy who is a swinger, comes to you because he is having clubface issues. Without any real attempt to fix the problem, you make him a hitter. BAND-AID.
I NEVER use Band-AIDS.
I guy comes to ME with a slice and a very bent left wrist going back and a chicken-wing no-roll move going through. I flatten his left wrist WHATEVER WAY I CAN—like with the twistaway—and get him to full roll, with a finish swivel that includes a STILL flat left wrist. I call that a FIX, even though sometimes it can be QUICK. Sometimes that FIX takes a couple of lessons of hard work.
Quick-fixs?
I gave Tim Finney, Mike's brother, a lesson this past Thursday. His hands are VERY low at address. His grip is VERY WEAK. His right forearm is way off plane at address. SHOULDER TURN TAKEAWAY. His head was very forward—to me—and his hips slid way right on the backswing. His backswing plane is the squared shoulder plane. Tim is a 1 handicapper, by the way.
What did I do?
Tim is not changing his grip, or his low hands, or his right forearm position. Nor is he going to learn to do a right forearm takeaway. This is HIS SWING.
So, I squared up his hips and moved them forward. This allowed him—heck, it CAUSED HIM—to have his head BEHIND THE BALL, and squared up his shoulders, getting his right forearm as on-plane as it will get. I then FLATTENED his backswing shoulder turn.
I explained how it would all work and he hit it so much better, you wouldn't believe it. TOTAL TIME: 1 hour Quick-fix? No, it looked WAY MORE 'golf like.' Band-aid? Nope. Part of a long-term overhaul we are planning to do.
Sometimes a FIX is QUICK if a guy has a weak grip and just getting his heel pad on top makes a world of difference.
But, it is important to know, most people who take private lessons, want help today.
Brian, do you teach The Golfing Machine as written by Homer Kelley and have strict adherence to its Principles?
The principle of golf is the LINE OF COMPRESSION.
EVERYTHING I TEACH, every move I make in a lesson, is a move toward the SECRET OF GOLF—SUSTAINING THE LINE OF COMPRESSION. My long-term students do it as good or better than ANYONE'S.
Homer had another great concept —The Three Imperatives. They are what the three parts of the golf club MUST do to hit a correct golf shot. EVERYTHING I am known for, fixing slices and hooks WITHOUT BASTARDIZING, and Converting FLIPPERS, is done with UTIMATE ADHERANCE to those three imperatives.
Now, Homer had a few IDEAS. One of them was the Basic Motion Curriculum. I am not a big fan of it, as is. For example: In Stage one, he wants you to grip it in the cup of the left hand. Nope. I already fix the fact that 90% of all-golfers come to me GRIPPING IT IN THE CUP of the left hand, in the first 45 seconds of the first lesson. And the next time I will allow for an 'in the cup' grip is for a trick-shot or a putt.
I know that some AI's have a lot of success with this Curriculum. And for a very long time, I taught Ben Doyle's version of the Curriculum—Chip, Pitch, Punch, Swing. I just did a video on MY adaptation of this procedure. It's great. BUT!
I lost a LOT of golfers by taking them through this procedure—Ben's or Homer's—right off the bat. I LEARNED that SOME of the time, maybe even most of the time, I could get the student to SUSTAIN THE LINE OF COMPRESSION AND DO THE THREE IMPERATIVES faster, and keep doing them longer, if I took away any ball-flight reward for their WOBBLY POINT.
You know how I learned that?
I taught at a driving range from age 20 to just before Katrina, where for years, I was public enemy #1. I was the young guy with the video camera, and all the sequence photos. I was the young guy the paper was writting about and the TV station was covering. I was the guy that got his 12 YEAR collection of pictures thrown in the bayou. I was the guy that the new pro tried EVERYTHING to get rid of—even hiring a guy as Director of Instruction BECAUSE he was supposed to be "Anti-Golfing Machine." (By the way, the guy is an Authorized Instructor now). I was the guy who HAD TO GET RESULTS or else I would go broke. The other guys paid off the cashiers and tried to talk every student of mine out of me, from the time they waked in the door to the time they walked out. I was the guy who never had his name on a building. Who had material stolen from him at all times.
This taught me a lot. Like:
1. Not everyone who comes for a lesson wants to be as good as they COULD be. But they all want to be better. Help 'em, don't try to impress 'em.
2. The BEST WAY to gain a golfer's trust is to GET THEM TO HIT IT BETTER FAST. Then you can move mountains—if they want to.
3. Watch the terminology! Homer once said "The AI's have free reign, but I want them to use the terminology." Nope. You need to be able to READ your student. Some can handle the terms some can't. For a MYRIAD of reasons. A rose is still a rose... Fix 'em don't give 'em a vocabulary lecture.
4. The four-barrel pattern in the third edition fits about 5% of golfers. The two patterns in the 6th edition fit about 25% of golfers. That's a LOT, but still 70% short. If you throw in Pivot Tripod Center and Right Forearm Takeaway and a clubshaft on the Turned shoulder plane at address, the number drops to about 10% tops. That's not to say how many golfers will improve doing those three patterns, with or without all the extras. That number is closer to 95%. The REAL TRICK to teaching TGM is figuring out which pattern out of 40 trillion, will make THAT GOLFER play his or her BEST. USE ANY AND ALL PATTERNS to get the PRINCIPLE/the SECRET/& the 3 IMPERATIVES.
A little side story:
I was a very poor putter from age 10 to age 25. Ben got me to pretty decent in 1987. But, by 1995 I stunk again. In mid-'95, I started putting with a version of the Langer-style. I putted great. About two years of good putting stopped when I decided to listen to those who didn't like the looks of it. Bad putter again. In about 1999 I started a new style with an upside-down right hand anchor to the left hand low. I putted great for about a year. Again, I stupidly changed to make it look better. I was C+ at best.
At this years PGA Show, I got in a contest to see how many 9-footers you could make in a row. For no reason, I tried it with the opposite handed-anchored-lefthand low thingy.
61 in a row!
Mike and Tom Bartlett had missed the performance and returned to be amazed by 44 MORE in a row! 105 of 107 from 7-foot and 99 of my first 100. I won the contest that 100's of pros entered.
What's the point?
The point is Homer Kelley didn't have the pattern I used in ANY edition.
Get it?
So, I adhere if it works better, but if 'some guy from Louisiana' has a way that works better for ME, I am very sorry purists, but I gotta dance with the best dancer.
Brian, what about a Student-Teacher relationship...Established in advance...Grounded in reality...With a mutual commitment to long-term progress? Do you believe in this?
Absolutely.
I got married in November of 2003. My groomsmen included:
Tom Bartlett, best man. I started teaching Tom at age 14. In 1987. Tom who now works for me, teaching, was the youngest ever winner post-WWII of the New Orleans' City Championship. He turned pro at 19, made in through the firs stage of the Tour school, and was a full-time player for years.
Mike Finney. I started teaching Mike at age 19 in 1987. Mike played in the starting five with four future TOUR players at on and off ranked #1 LSU. He now is a very successful Club Pro and teacher.
Chris Hamburger, I started teaching Chris when he was a JVer in High-School. He eventually played #1 for perrennial powerhouse Jesuit High in New Orleans, played college golf and by age 25 was a PGA member who is now a very well thought of Head Pro and teacher.
David Dorman, I started teaching David when he was 10. By 16 he was shotting in the 60's in tournaments and played on Louisiana's Junior Cup team. He still plays and is a +2 handicap.
and...one of my Readers was Nakia Davis. I started teaching Nakia when she was 15 and had just shot 99 in an AJGA tournamnet. Three years and THREE LOUISIANA STAE CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORIES later, Nakia shot 71 in the same event, got a full-ride to Vandy, the FIRST African-American to recieve an SEC scholarship. She paid the Futures Tour for years and her swing, as pretty as a picture, landed her in Tiger Woods's Golf Game.
So, I believe in long-term relationships.
But!
In the world of private lessons—FULL-TIME private lessons, your next lesson may be someone who just called the range and got you. You can't qualify everyone, unless you don't need the money or you have an endless supply. The funny thing is, most everyone who is anyone in teaching, had an endless supply at some point and didn't even know it. They thought it was them.
Interviews over breakfast or lunch are great, but if you have 11 one hour lessons scheduled back-to-back and 4 of them are new...you get the picture. Just shake their hand and fix 'em. If you do a good job, they will tell others and be back.
Thank you for your time, Brian
No problem.
"No 'quick fix.' No 'band-aids.' Just The Golfing Machine as written by Homer Kelley and taught by a competent Instructor in adherence to its Principles. Most important, a Student-Teacher relationship...Established in advance...Grounded in reality...With a mutual commitment to long-term progress."
I like it, it sounds really good. A perfect situation.
So, I decided to interview myself, for the sake of those who want to know what I think about these very good concepts and goals.
Brian, do you believe in "quick-fixes" & "band-aids"?
Good question. I'll answer one at a time.
Band-aids. To me, a guy comes to see you with a slice. You strengthen the HECK out of his grip. BAND-AID. A lady comes to you hitting it fat or topping it. You move her head way forward and move the ball way back. BAND-AID. A guy who is a swinger, comes to you because he is having clubface issues. Without any real attempt to fix the problem, you make him a hitter. BAND-AID.
I NEVER use Band-AIDS.
I guy comes to ME with a slice and a very bent left wrist going back and a chicken-wing no-roll move going through. I flatten his left wrist WHATEVER WAY I CAN—like with the twistaway—and get him to full roll, with a finish swivel that includes a STILL flat left wrist. I call that a FIX, even though sometimes it can be QUICK. Sometimes that FIX takes a couple of lessons of hard work.
Quick-fixs?
I gave Tim Finney, Mike's brother, a lesson this past Thursday. His hands are VERY low at address. His grip is VERY WEAK. His right forearm is way off plane at address. SHOULDER TURN TAKEAWAY. His head was very forward—to me—and his hips slid way right on the backswing. His backswing plane is the squared shoulder plane. Tim is a 1 handicapper, by the way.
What did I do?
Tim is not changing his grip, or his low hands, or his right forearm position. Nor is he going to learn to do a right forearm takeaway. This is HIS SWING.
So, I squared up his hips and moved them forward. This allowed him—heck, it CAUSED HIM—to have his head BEHIND THE BALL, and squared up his shoulders, getting his right forearm as on-plane as it will get. I then FLATTENED his backswing shoulder turn.
I explained how it would all work and he hit it so much better, you wouldn't believe it. TOTAL TIME: 1 hour Quick-fix? No, it looked WAY MORE 'golf like.' Band-aid? Nope. Part of a long-term overhaul we are planning to do.
Sometimes a FIX is QUICK if a guy has a weak grip and just getting his heel pad on top makes a world of difference.
But, it is important to know, most people who take private lessons, want help today.
Brian, do you teach The Golfing Machine as written by Homer Kelley and have strict adherence to its Principles?
The principle of golf is the LINE OF COMPRESSION.
EVERYTHING I TEACH, every move I make in a lesson, is a move toward the SECRET OF GOLF—SUSTAINING THE LINE OF COMPRESSION. My long-term students do it as good or better than ANYONE'S.
Homer had another great concept —The Three Imperatives. They are what the three parts of the golf club MUST do to hit a correct golf shot. EVERYTHING I am known for, fixing slices and hooks WITHOUT BASTARDIZING, and Converting FLIPPERS, is done with UTIMATE ADHERANCE to those three imperatives.
Now, Homer had a few IDEAS. One of them was the Basic Motion Curriculum. I am not a big fan of it, as is. For example: In Stage one, he wants you to grip it in the cup of the left hand. Nope. I already fix the fact that 90% of all-golfers come to me GRIPPING IT IN THE CUP of the left hand, in the first 45 seconds of the first lesson. And the next time I will allow for an 'in the cup' grip is for a trick-shot or a putt.
I know that some AI's have a lot of success with this Curriculum. And for a very long time, I taught Ben Doyle's version of the Curriculum—Chip, Pitch, Punch, Swing. I just did a video on MY adaptation of this procedure. It's great. BUT!
I lost a LOT of golfers by taking them through this procedure—Ben's or Homer's—right off the bat. I LEARNED that SOME of the time, maybe even most of the time, I could get the student to SUSTAIN THE LINE OF COMPRESSION AND DO THE THREE IMPERATIVES faster, and keep doing them longer, if I took away any ball-flight reward for their WOBBLY POINT.
You know how I learned that?
I taught at a driving range from age 20 to just before Katrina, where for years, I was public enemy #1. I was the young guy with the video camera, and all the sequence photos. I was the young guy the paper was writting about and the TV station was covering. I was the guy that got his 12 YEAR collection of pictures thrown in the bayou. I was the guy that the new pro tried EVERYTHING to get rid of—even hiring a guy as Director of Instruction BECAUSE he was supposed to be "Anti-Golfing Machine." (By the way, the guy is an Authorized Instructor now). I was the guy who HAD TO GET RESULTS or else I would go broke. The other guys paid off the cashiers and tried to talk every student of mine out of me, from the time they waked in the door to the time they walked out. I was the guy who never had his name on a building. Who had material stolen from him at all times.
This taught me a lot. Like:
1. Not everyone who comes for a lesson wants to be as good as they COULD be. But they all want to be better. Help 'em, don't try to impress 'em.
2. The BEST WAY to gain a golfer's trust is to GET THEM TO HIT IT BETTER FAST. Then you can move mountains—if they want to.
3. Watch the terminology! Homer once said "The AI's have free reign, but I want them to use the terminology." Nope. You need to be able to READ your student. Some can handle the terms some can't. For a MYRIAD of reasons. A rose is still a rose... Fix 'em don't give 'em a vocabulary lecture.
4. The four-barrel pattern in the third edition fits about 5% of golfers. The two patterns in the 6th edition fit about 25% of golfers. That's a LOT, but still 70% short. If you throw in Pivot Tripod Center and Right Forearm Takeaway and a clubshaft on the Turned shoulder plane at address, the number drops to about 10% tops. That's not to say how many golfers will improve doing those three patterns, with or without all the extras. That number is closer to 95%. The REAL TRICK to teaching TGM is figuring out which pattern out of 40 trillion, will make THAT GOLFER play his or her BEST. USE ANY AND ALL PATTERNS to get the PRINCIPLE/the SECRET/& the 3 IMPERATIVES.
A little side story:
I was a very poor putter from age 10 to age 25. Ben got me to pretty decent in 1987. But, by 1995 I stunk again. In mid-'95, I started putting with a version of the Langer-style. I putted great. About two years of good putting stopped when I decided to listen to those who didn't like the looks of it. Bad putter again. In about 1999 I started a new style with an upside-down right hand anchor to the left hand low. I putted great for about a year. Again, I stupidly changed to make it look better. I was C+ at best.
At this years PGA Show, I got in a contest to see how many 9-footers you could make in a row. For no reason, I tried it with the opposite handed-anchored-lefthand low thingy.
61 in a row!
Mike and Tom Bartlett had missed the performance and returned to be amazed by 44 MORE in a row! 105 of 107 from 7-foot and 99 of my first 100. I won the contest that 100's of pros entered.
What's the point?
The point is Homer Kelley didn't have the pattern I used in ANY edition.
Get it?
So, I adhere if it works better, but if 'some guy from Louisiana' has a way that works better for ME, I am very sorry purists, but I gotta dance with the best dancer.
Brian, what about a Student-Teacher relationship...Established in advance...Grounded in reality...With a mutual commitment to long-term progress? Do you believe in this?
Absolutely.
I got married in November of 2003. My groomsmen included:
Tom Bartlett, best man. I started teaching Tom at age 14. In 1987. Tom who now works for me, teaching, was the youngest ever winner post-WWII of the New Orleans' City Championship. He turned pro at 19, made in through the firs stage of the Tour school, and was a full-time player for years.
Mike Finney. I started teaching Mike at age 19 in 1987. Mike played in the starting five with four future TOUR players at on and off ranked #1 LSU. He now is a very successful Club Pro and teacher.
Chris Hamburger, I started teaching Chris when he was a JVer in High-School. He eventually played #1 for perrennial powerhouse Jesuit High in New Orleans, played college golf and by age 25 was a PGA member who is now a very well thought of Head Pro and teacher.
David Dorman, I started teaching David when he was 10. By 16 he was shotting in the 60's in tournaments and played on Louisiana's Junior Cup team. He still plays and is a +2 handicap.
and...one of my Readers was Nakia Davis. I started teaching Nakia when she was 15 and had just shot 99 in an AJGA tournamnet. Three years and THREE LOUISIANA STAE CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORIES later, Nakia shot 71 in the same event, got a full-ride to Vandy, the FIRST African-American to recieve an SEC scholarship. She paid the Futures Tour for years and her swing, as pretty as a picture, landed her in Tiger Woods's Golf Game.
So, I believe in long-term relationships.
But!
In the world of private lessons—FULL-TIME private lessons, your next lesson may be someone who just called the range and got you. You can't qualify everyone, unless you don't need the money or you have an endless supply. The funny thing is, most everyone who is anyone in teaching, had an endless supply at some point and didn't even know it. They thought it was them.
Interviews over breakfast or lunch are great, but if you have 11 one hour lessons scheduled back-to-back and 4 of them are new...you get the picture. Just shake their hand and fix 'em. If you do a good job, they will tell others and be back.
Thank you for your time, Brian
No problem.
